5 Young Adult Books You Should Read Right Now

I’ve read some truly amazing Young Adult books lately. Some of the best I’ve ever read.

So, if you like YA lit or if you’re looking for goodreads for your teen, I have some suggestions for you. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil the stories- what I’m sharing is info you’d see if you checked out the book jacket or Goodreads/Amazon descriptions.

*If you click on my Amazon affiliate links, this blog will make a small amount from your purchase.

First up is Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner. Carver has three best friends and a great life. Until one day those three best friends are in a fatal car accident… which happened right after Carver sent them a text. It’s a timely read, dealing with texting and driving but doesn’t get overly preachy. Instead, it’s a beautiful celebration of life featuring some strong male characters(something I don’t often find in YA).

One of my favorite quotes from the book: “For the most part, you don’t hold the people you love in your heart because they rescued you from drowning or pulled you from a burning house. Mostly you hold them in your heart because they save you, in a million quiet and perfect ways, from being alone.”

I loved Goodbye Days so much that I had to go back and read Zentner’s first book, The Serpent King. I went in a little hesitantly because my expectations were high and the premise of this one seemed a little bizarre. But at its core, it’s about three friends, all trying to figure out how to get past their own very different obstacles and how they help each other through. I can’t decide which of the two I liked more, though one made me cry more over the other.

““And if you’re going to live, you might as well do painful, brave, and beautiful things.”

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia is another that blew me away. Eliza is awkward and often made fun of in real life. But online, she created one of the most popular fandoms arounds. She lives her life mostly online, creating her webcomic and chatting with friends she met through the related forums. But then she meets someone in person who is a fan of her comic and her worlds start to collide. Another really timely book, since our kids (and okay, some of us adults, too) live so much of life online.

“I’m shutting everything out because I’m frustrated and tired and because the real world is difficult and I’d rather live in one of my own making.”

By Your Side by Kasie West tells the story of Autumn and Dax, who meet when they’re locked in the library for the weekend. Despite this book dealing with some heavy issues like anxiety and being in the foster system, it manages to have a light feel for most of the book. This is an author I’ll read more.

Finally, I’ve recommended this book over on Facebook, but wanted to make sure you saw it. Lily By Any Other Name was written by Julie C. Gardner, a blogger I’ve read for years and years. She has such a beautiful flow to everything she writes. Lily is going through an emotional senior year, full of surprises like her 40 year old mother getting pregnant. This is a sweet, endearing read.

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Welcome to Things I Can't Say: Tips and Tales from an Introverted Mom. I'm Shell. Boy mom, beach girl, bookworm, ball games, baker, brand ambassador, Thinking yoga, food, and travel should start with "b," too. Finding the easiest way to do some things while overthinking so many others. Read More…